Ask An Expert

At Dognition, we believe that shared inquiry and discovery fuel the greatest benefits for dogs and their owners. Therefore we’ve partnered with the world’s leading canine cognition experts and canine-focused institutions/organizations.

Now, you also have the opportunity to inquire and learn from our experts.

Vanessa Woods, Author of The Genius of Dogs, answered this months question. Enjoy!

That’s a fantastic question, and lucky for us, there is research that may be able to shed some light on it! In a study by Dr. David Tuber at Ohio State University, researchers looked at the expression of stress hormones when dogs were placed in a strange new context, in this case an unfamiliar room.

What they found was that when dogs were alone, their stress level went up significantly. The scientists were able to detect this due to a spike in stress hormones. Furthermore, the researchers found that even when dogs were with a familiar dog in the unfamiliar room, their stress hormones still spiked up. However, when placed in the unfamiliar room with a familiar human the dog had little to no increase in stress hormones. Throughout the time in the room, the dog stayed close to the human and sought out interaction frequently. The researchers believe that it was this interaction between the dog and human (not seen between the two dogs) that kept the dog calm and relaxed.

This research shows just how special our relationship with dogs is; when they’re somewhere strange and new, dogs prefer the company of humans to other dogs! So don’t feel guilty about leaving Benni with friends for the vacation, as long as these friends will take care of him, with lots of hugs and daily walks, Benni will probably be just as happy with humans as he would be at doggy daycare.

Vanessa Woods, Author of The Genius of Dogs, answered this months question. Enjoy!

That’s a fantastic question, and lucky for us, there is research that may be able to shed some light on it! In a study by Dr. David Tuber at Ohio State University, researchers looked at the expression of stress hormones when dogs were placed in a strange new context, in this case an unfamiliar room.

What they found was that when dogs were alone, their stress level went up significantly. The scientists were able to detect this due to a spike in stress hormones. Furthermore, the researchers found that even when dogs were with a familiar dog in the unfamiliar room, their stress hormones still spiked up. However, when placed in the unfamiliar room with a familiar human the dog had little to no increase in stress hormones. Throughout the time in the room, the dog stayed…

You shouldn’t worry about your dog going first through a doorway or any other signs of ‘dominant behavior’. The idea that you should be the alpha dog is based outdated wolf research, which studies now show does not apply to dogs.

For a long time many people thought that because dogs evolved from wolves, wolves were a good model to understand dog behavior. Although they do share much of the same DNA, we have since learned that their pack structures and social behavior are actually very different.

If you look at packs of feral dogs, or dogs who live without human interference, research shows that they look to the dog with the most friends. There is no single dominant pair that uses violence and dominant behavior, instead when deciding where to go feral dogs follow the dog with the largest social network. Being friendly, rather than fierce, seems to count more with our best friends.

You shouldn’t worry about your dog going first through a doorway or any other signs of ‘dominant behavior’. The idea that you should be the alpha dog is based outdated wolf research, which studies now show does not apply to dogs.

For a long time many people thought that because dogs evolved from wolves, wolves were a good model to understand dog behavior. Although they do share much of the same DNA, we have since learned that their pack structures and social behavior are actually very different.

If you look at packs of feral dogs, or dogs who live without human interference, research shows that they look to the dog with the most friends. There is no single dominant pair that uses violence and dominant behavior, instead when deciding where to go feral dogs follow the dog with the largest…